By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Inside domination went a long way for Beebe as the Lady Badgers routed visiting Forrest City 77-58 at Badger Sports Arena on Tuesday.
The Lady Mustangs (4-7) had their chances to keep pace early but could not find their touch as Beebe (19-5, 9-2) took advantage with a transition game that kept momentum in its favor for the duration.
Dominique Dillard led the Lady Mustangs with 12 points while Mary Burks added nine points, all from three-point baskets. Kenya Thompson and Marina Ford each finished with six points for Forrest City while Deja Collin had five points. Thompson also led on the boards with five rebounds.
For Beebe, guard Jamie Jackson led the way with 24 points, seven rebounds and four steals while 6-4 sophomore post player Angelina Williams finished with 22 points and eight rebounds despite sitting on the bench during the first quarter for missing Monday practice due to another school event. Sophomore guard Kalela Miller also sat out the first eight minutes for Beebe before finishing with 11 points and six rebounds.
“The bottom line is that if you’re 5 of 21 and you take over 80 percent of your shots in the lane, that’s all the difference in the game,” Lady Mustangs coach Jackie England said. “If we score there, it’s a whole different game. Once you dig that hole, we can’t stop the big girl, you know, they just opened up something else. We’ve just got to learn how to play and get the ball in the hole. That’s our problem right now; we have to learn how to score.”
Ford scored two early baskets for the Lady Mustangs that kept them close in the opening minutes with a hook shot at the 6:18 mark that made it 4-2 and a quick jumper off an inbound pass with 5:36 left to go in the first that cut Beebe’s lead to 6-4.
Thompson was the first to hit from long distance as she made a three-point basket at the 2:44 mark to pull the Lady Mustangs to within 9-7. Collin made the back end of a two-shot foul and scored inside following a failed Beebe possession to make it 11-10 Beebe with 1:46 remaining.
Williams’ entry into the game to start the second quarter changed things dramatically as she scored two quick baskets to put the Lady Badgers up 20-10.
Miller then scored on consecutive trips down the floor, once with a floater followed by a lay up at the 5:42 mark to give Beebe a 26-13 lead.
The Lady Mustangs had their moments from the outside in the second quarter, including a three pointer by Ardrayon McCoy at the 4:26 mark and another trey for Burks with 2:19 left to go in the first half to make it 35-21.
Thompson tried to match Williams’ physicality inside, but Williams banged off her adversary and still made a midrange jumper before Beebe teammate Sarah White scored off the glass to give Beebe a 39-21 lead. Burks struck again beyond the arc, but Williams found the hoop inside two more times before the half.
Kionna Patillo got the last word for the Lady Mustangs with a three-point basket that set the halftime margin at 43-27.
“We played pretty well offensively, just didn’t play well on defensive end,” Lady Badgers coach Greg Richey said. “I thought the key is that we can play fast or slow – it’s just whatever the game dictates, and it is good that my players can adapt to whatever style the other team wants to play.”
The Lady Badgers played at Nettleton last night after Leader deadlines and will travel to Wynne on Tuesday before wrapping up 5A-East Conference play at home against league-leading Paragould on Thursday.
Beebe trails Paragould by two games in the league standings.
